


Thanksgiving.

by sasstronautmarkwatney (msindyjones)



Category: The Martian (2015), The Martian - All Media Types, The Martian - Andy Weir
Genre: but it is happy tho, light internal angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2015-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-24 17:35:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4928851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/msindyjones/pseuds/sasstronautmarkwatney
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mark’s first Thanksgiving with the family after returning home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving.

A time to appreciate all the things in one’s life and celebrate good times together.

Thanksgiving.

A time for families to come together, share stories, catch up and be happy.

Thanksgiving.

A time when people spend hours together, making a large feast to eat for the next few days.

Thanksgiving.

The one time of the year that Mark is irrefutably reminded of Mars.

The first year that Mark was back on Earth he didn’t attend the annual family dinner. He was still recovering from his extended stay in space. Countless doctor’s appointments, dentist visits and psych evaluations. The second year, he didn’t attend the family dinner. He had recovered physically but so many things reminded him of Mars and Thanksgiving was the biggest reminder.

His mother convinced him to come to dinner the third year. It would be the first time he was appear at a gathering with the entire family. The one holiday where the Watney clan, close and extended gathered together and it would be complete this year with Mark in attendance.

Sitting in his car, Mark exhaled and his breath appeared in front of him. He had driven with the heat off. Something telling him to conserve energy in the car. He knew better, every part of him knew that he could drive with the heat on but it felt wrong to turn it on. Unless it was deathly cold and not a mere four degrees Celsius. His parent’s house was small, sitting on the edge of the Windy City, starting into the suburbs. It was where he had grown up, his fascination with plants started, with building, with space. Despite the small size, cars lined the streets and the house looked warm.

Soft yellow light glowed behind the pulled curtains. The movement of almost two and half dozen people milling about could be seen. Mark was late. He agreed to show up but not to be on time. He spent the morning reminding himself that Thanksgiving didn’t mean he was alone anymore. That it was just the opposite. Finally getting out of the car, he took careful steps through the new dusting of snow to avoid ice patches.

He knocked on the door. Why did he knock on the door? This was his parents’ house, his childhood home. Inside was his entire family. Not strangers, he knew all these people. Maybe he was the stranger, stuck on Mars for eighteen months, in space for a total of three years. He was different, enough to make him feel like an outsider. Just as he considered turning away, spending another Thanksgiving alone with a bottle of nice scotch, the door opened.

Warmth from inside flowed around him while the chill seeped inside. Mark swallowed the lump in his throat and managed a smile. The small gesture caused the tension in his mother’s shoulders to dissipate. A small line of tears edged her aged eyes. Stepping forward she took her son in her arms and hugged him, still relived every time she did. Knowing that he was home and safe.

Mark returned the affection, hugging his mother before she pulled back. She used the napkin in her hand to dab her eyes before turning to the house. “Everyone, Mark is here.” She announced as she stepped into the foyer her son trailing behind.

Before his mother publicized his presence there had been a low murmur of conversation through the house, he could hear his father laughing his characteristic guffaw. Probably laughing over one of his own jokes. As soon as everyone knew that he was there, it went quiet. Mars quiet.

Estranged from his own family for three years, Mark looked at his father. He had seen his parents almost immediately after arriving back on Earth but that was the limit of his interaction. His family knew of his situation, the whole world did but it was only his parents that knew true extent of his physical rehab and his ongoing struggles with adjusting back to being on Earth. Aunts, uncles and cousins, none of them had personally seen their family member for six years. Last seeing him at the going away party for Mars.

Mark could feel his chest tighten as they stared at him, some younger kids only knew of him from the news and the stories told to them by their parents. He felt like it was a mistake being there. Seeing him tense, his mother stepped closer to him, putting her hand on his shoulder. Mark’s father was the first to react, crossing the room to take his son into a big embrace. He was a large man, taller than Mark. He inherited his smaller frame from his mother. “Good to see you made it, Son.” His father spoke softly.

The elder Watney’s response, brought back the relaxed atmosphere. Soon the rest of his family was approaching him, pulling him into hugs, giving him kisses on cheek. The anxiety soon seeped from his chest and for the first time he felt that he could spend Thanksgiving properly.

“Are you hungry?” His mother asked, still remembering how he looked thin when seeing him first. The ten month trip home on Hermes allowed for him to gain most of his weight back, but he was her only son and could instantly tell he was still underweight.

Mark nodded. “Yeah, I could use something to eat.” He said looking to the spread in the kitchen. The food had already been served, he missed the turkey being cut but he didn’t mind.

“I didn’t cook any potatoes.” His mother added, causing Mark to smirk.

With a plate full of homemade fixings, Mark sat at the dining table with several other family members, a few crowded along the open spaces by the wall and leaning against doorjambs. He could tell they wanted to ask him questions, he could always tell when people wanted to ask questions. Their small talk was insincere, they seemed distracted as if something else was on their minds. Wanting to know what it was like on Mars, what he did to pass the time. The questions were all the same and he had answered those ones dozens of times. Including on every talk show possible. It wouldn’t be so bad if someone asked him a question that no one had thought of before.

The conversation died down a bit as Mark dug into his second slice of pumpkin pie, with enough whipped cream to cover the entire surface of the slice. One of the small children cleared their throat, “Uhm, Mark?” He asked, Watney’s eyes flicked up, pie stuffed in his face. Immediately he knew that the kid was going to ask about Mars and it was like every adult in the room sensed it but no one could stop him. “Are you ever going to go back to Mars?”

Mark stopped chewing, someone behind him choked on their drink and attempted to cough subtly. Swallowing his bite, he reached for a napkin and wiped his face. His mother looked worriedly at her son, the mother of the child ready to apologize, but then Mark laughed. He grinned, his eyes wrinkled. His laughed sound just as ridiculous as his father’s.

His reaction surprised his family and it caused other people to chuckle uncomfortably.

“Fuck, no.” Mark finally said through his laugh.

“Mark!” His mother exclaimed, hitting him in the back of the head with the kitchen towel that was over her shoulder. Her slight disciplinary action didn’t stop him from laughing.

“No, I’m not. But good question.” He admitted. It was the first time anyone had asked him that. With a smile he turned back to his pie. “What else do you guys wanna know?” He finally allowed for the questions to begin. The only way he wasn’t going to feel like a stranger with his own family was to let them get to know him again.


End file.
